Free is free! A free spirit is more than you think!
Okay, you might be feeling a bit skeptical or incredulous at the moment.
But don’t worry, I’m not going to give you some fanciful monologue about how we’re all free spirits. That would be ridiculous because it’s simply not true. Nor am I going to give you the same old hackneyed stereotypical definition.
If you want to discover whether you’re a free spirit or not, you need to ask yourself one question:
What’s more important to you in life, complacency or freedom?
I’ll help you figure out what your true answer is in a little bit.
But first, I know you’re a busy person, so let’s get to the good stuff:
The free spirit has the same essence as the wolf. (On a side note, maybe that’s why wolves have been so feared and respected throughout millennia?) I’ll explain why soon. But let’s examine the time-honored image of the free spirit first.
Traditionally, a free spirit is seen as one who doesn’t like to be tied down, who wants to run free, liberated from confines of family and society. Think of all those famous derelicts, hippies, and brooding heartthrobs seen in TV, film, and pop culture.
But there’s one big problem with this depiction of the free spirit: it’s still enslavement. These supposed “free spirits” that we wish to model ourselves upon are still not free. Superficially they look liberated. On the surface, they seem to be living the dream.
But if you’ve ever met a so-called free spirit who indirectly models themselves upon the pop-culture-ideal, you’ll soon realize that something’s off with them.
They’re still running away from something.
And yes, having the guts to rebel against big corporations, the oppressive modern lifestyle, and society at large is brave. But is it truly freedom? Is it truly what defines a “free spirit”?
Freedom is not only external– it is also internal. Free-dom, or being free from domination, is just as much about our own minds as it is about the outer state of the world.
If you don’t have the desire to liberate yourself from the outer and inner voices of oppression, but prefer to be a respectable sheeple of society, freedom isn’t important to you. Convenience and complacency are.
If you don’t have the drive to be liberated from ALL sources of enslavement, whether in the outside world or inside reality, the term “free spirit” is just a stylish feel-good label with no real substance. It’s on par with dressing in gypsy soul boho clothes, adorning yourself in exotic jewelry, and getting a big “free spirit” tattoo and plastering it all over social media – it looks nice superficially, but it’s not the real deal.
The inner wolf is the embodiment of the free spirit. She can be all things and thrive in all states. She can be the nurturer and protector, the observer and the instigator, the gatherer and the fighter, the solitary one and the pack member. She is not limited by one state of being. Above all, courage defines the inner wolf, and it is this essence that forges the true free spirit.
Are you willing to use your teeth to shred through outer AND inner oppression relentlessly? Do you crave for freedom more than complacency? Let’s find out …
I’m going to ask you one question.
This question, more or less, will help you to honestly assess your real desires, and therefore whether you’re a free spirit or not.
Question 1 – Choose one statement you most resonate with:
a) I prefer my spirituality to affirm and comfort me.
b) I prefer my spirituality to challenge and deconstruct me.
Take a few moments to seriously consider this question.
(Of course, you can take our free spirit test if you struggle with answering this question and need more variety.)
If you chose (a) you value complacency and freedom is of secondary importance to you. If you chose (b) you value freedom and are therefore a free spirit.
As spiritual teacher Adyashanti writes, “Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.”
We often think the spiritual path is a feel-good journey – and at the beginning stages that may be true. It’s also fine to use spirituality to create comfort and security. But at the deeper levels, it is a journey towards freedom through self-realization (i.e. enlightenment), and that process is messy, uncomfortable, and challenging.
Ultimately, it’s neither good nor bad whether you’re a free spirit or not. We’re all at different levels of growth, and that’s okay. You don’t HAVE to be a free spirit any more than you don’t have to be a ballet dancer, truck driver, or reiki healer. Different strokes for different folks as they say. Some people need to be comforted and affirmed, others don’t.
Also, if you discover that you don’t have a free spirit essence, I want you to know that a ‘free spirit’ isn’t who you’re naturally born to be, it’s who you BECOME.
Yes, you can choose to become a free spirit.
If you’re starting to discover that comfort and complacency aren’t nourishing your soul any longer, you can absolutely make the decision to live like a free spirit. It will take time, practice, and authentic guidance, but the door is always open to you.
So with that being said, what is a free spirit? Let’s create a formal definition here:
A free spirit is a person who desires to be free from all external and internal oppressive forces above all else. The free spirit is by nature a rebel who may appear eccentric, weird or otherworldly to society. They choose to walk a different path in life that empowers them to listen to the voice of their soul, be free from suffering and enslavement, and fulfill their destiny.
Forget the stereotypical image of the bohemian traveler: a free spirit can be a homebody or adventurer, a family person or a loner, an outspoken extrovert or a reflective introvert. Being a free spirit is an ESSENCE, not an external image or label. If you value truth and freedom more than you value comfort and complacency, you’re a free spirit.
Stereotypes aside, here are seven authentic signs of the free spirit:
You’re a rebel and non-conformist
You’re an innovator and dreamer
You thirst for truth
You have an inner “BS” detector
You welcome challenge
Your heart is your compass
“I will not be enslaved” is your unconscious motto
But don’t worry, I’m not going to give you some fanciful monologue about how we’re all free spirits. That would be ridiculous because it’s simply not true. Nor am I going to give you the same old hackneyed stereotypical definition.
If you want to discover whether you’re a free spirit or not, you need to ask yourself one question:
What’s more important to you in life, complacency or freedom?
I’ll help you figure out what your true answer is in a little bit.
But first, I know you’re a busy person, so let’s get to the good stuff:
The free spirit has the same essence as the wolf. (On a side note, maybe that’s why wolves have been so feared and respected throughout millennia?) I’ll explain why soon. But let’s examine the time-honored image of the free spirit first.
Traditionally, a free spirit is seen as one who doesn’t like to be tied down, who wants to run free, liberated from confines of family and society. Think of all those famous derelicts, hippies, and brooding heartthrobs seen in TV, film, and pop culture.
But there’s one big problem with this depiction of the free spirit: it’s still enslavement. These supposed “free spirits” that we wish to model ourselves upon are still not free. Superficially they look liberated. On the surface, they seem to be living the dream.
But if you’ve ever met a so-called free spirit who indirectly models themselves upon the pop-culture-ideal, you’ll soon realize that something’s off with them.
They’re still running away from something.
And yes, having the guts to rebel against big corporations, the oppressive modern lifestyle, and society at large is brave. But is it truly freedom? Is it truly what defines a “free spirit”?
Freedom is not only external– it is also internal. Free-dom, or being free from domination, is just as much about our own minds as it is about the outer state of the world.
If you don’t have the desire to liberate yourself from the outer and inner voices of oppression, but prefer to be a respectable sheeple of society, freedom isn’t important to you. Convenience and complacency are.
If you don’t have the drive to be liberated from ALL sources of enslavement, whether in the outside world or inside reality, the term “free spirit” is just a stylish feel-good label with no real substance. It’s on par with dressing in gypsy soul boho clothes, adorning yourself in exotic jewelry, and getting a big “free spirit” tattoo and plastering it all over social media – it looks nice superficially, but it’s not the real deal.
The inner wolf is the embodiment of the free spirit. She can be all things and thrive in all states. She can be the nurturer and protector, the observer and the instigator, the gatherer and the fighter, the solitary one and the pack member. She is not limited by one state of being. Above all, courage defines the inner wolf, and it is this essence that forges the true free spirit.
Are you willing to use your teeth to shred through outer AND inner oppression relentlessly? Do you crave for freedom more than complacency? Let’s find out …
I’m going to ask you one question.
This question, more or less, will help you to honestly assess your real desires, and therefore whether you’re a free spirit or not.
Question 1 – Choose one statement you most resonate with:
a) I prefer my spirituality to affirm and comfort me.
b) I prefer my spirituality to challenge and deconstruct me.
Take a few moments to seriously consider this question.
(Of course, you can take our free spirit test if you struggle with answering this question and need more variety.)
If you chose (a) you value complacency and freedom is of secondary importance to you. If you chose (b) you value freedom and are therefore a free spirit.
As spiritual teacher Adyashanti writes, “Enlightenment is a destructive process. It has nothing to do with becoming better or being happier. Enlightenment is the crumbling away of untruth. It’s seeing through the facade of pretense. It’s the complete eradication of everything we imagined to be true.”
We often think the spiritual path is a feel-good journey – and at the beginning stages that may be true. It’s also fine to use spirituality to create comfort and security. But at the deeper levels, it is a journey towards freedom through self-realization (i.e. enlightenment), and that process is messy, uncomfortable, and challenging.
Ultimately, it’s neither good nor bad whether you’re a free spirit or not. We’re all at different levels of growth, and that’s okay. You don’t HAVE to be a free spirit any more than you don’t have to be a ballet dancer, truck driver, or reiki healer. Different strokes for different folks as they say. Some people need to be comforted and affirmed, others don’t.
Also, if you discover that you don’t have a free spirit essence, I want you to know that a ‘free spirit’ isn’t who you’re naturally born to be, it’s who you BECOME.
Yes, you can choose to become a free spirit.
If you’re starting to discover that comfort and complacency aren’t nourishing your soul any longer, you can absolutely make the decision to live like a free spirit. It will take time, practice, and authentic guidance, but the door is always open to you.
So with that being said, what is a free spirit? Let’s create a formal definition here:
A free spirit is a person who desires to be free from all external and internal oppressive forces above all else. The free spirit is by nature a rebel who may appear eccentric, weird or otherworldly to society. They choose to walk a different path in life that empowers them to listen to the voice of their soul, be free from suffering and enslavement, and fulfill their destiny.
Forget the stereotypical image of the bohemian traveler: a free spirit can be a homebody or adventurer, a family person or a loner, an outspoken extrovert or a reflective introvert. Being a free spirit is an ESSENCE, not an external image or label. If you value truth and freedom more than you value comfort and complacency, you’re a free spirit.
Stereotypes aside, here are seven authentic signs of the free spirit:
You’re a rebel and non-conformist
You’re an innovator and dreamer
You thirst for truth
You have an inner “BS” detector
You welcome challenge
Your heart is your compass
“I will not be enslaved” is your unconscious motto
